Wests Tigers second-rower Mark O'Neill, the victim of the ugly king hit for which Melbourne's Danny Williams faces the longest suspension in NRL history, has had his own judiciary hearing deferred from tonight after complaining he was still feeling the effects of concussion.

O'Neill, who yesterday pleaded not guilty to a high tackle on Williams, was left unconscious and convulsing on the ground for more than 90 seconds after being struck by the veteran Storm forward in back play last Saturday night at Leichhardt Oval.

Williams will tonight learn his fate at the most important NRL tribunal hearing of the season, with Penrith prop Ben Ross also defending two separate charges that threaten to sideline him until next year.

Despite being cleared of a fractured cheekbone, O'Neill has been stood down from Friday night's match against the Bulldogs and will appear before the tribunal next week on a grade-one charge that does not carry any suspension because of his unblemished record in 11 seasons with Balmain and Wests Tigers.

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"I wouldn't call it a complication, he's just feeling a bit sick," Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce said. "If ever you've had concussion, it takes time to get over. The doctor just wants him to take it easy."

Medical evidence of O'Neill's condition is expected to be submitted at tonight's hearing by NRL prosecutor Peter Kite, who will seek to have an 18-match suspension imposed on Williams - sidelining him for the remainder of the season and jeopardising his prospects of playing in Britain next year.

Hull general manager David Plummer said yesterday his club had ceased negotiations with the Ireland World Cup representative before last weekend's events.

Williams has pleaded guilty but will argue through his counsel, comprising Melbourne CEO Frank Stanton and assistant coach Dean Lance, that mitigating circumstances contributed to the incident. The Storm are certain to use O'Neill's tackle as grounds for provocation.

The 30-year-old former North Sydney back-rower maintains that he remembers little of the tackle or his act of retaliation after playing the ball, while the club believes the incident could have been avoided if rookie referee Gavin Badger had stopped play to penalise O'Neill.

It is unlikely the Storm will suggest that a previous incident, in which O'Neill's nose was badly broken during the round-13 clash between the two clubs, played any role - despite revelations yesterday that the Tigers had written to the NRL seeking an explanation as to why no action had been taken against Williams.

Tigers football manager Steve Lavers confirmed the club had written to NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley about that incident but insisted O'Neill held no ill feeling towards Williams.

"Our view of it was that Williams's tackle was off the ball, Mark O'Neill wasn't in possession - he had passed the ball - and Danny Williams was in full view of that before the contact was made," Lavers said. "We got a response saying that they stood by their decision and that was the end of the matter. It would be wrong for people to put that in any other light, and we're defending Mark's tackle on Danny Williams."

Meanwhile, Ross will argue that Panthers teammate Joel Clinton, who yesterday accepted a one-match ban on a dangerous-throw charge, was the main contributor to the tackle for which he is facing an eight-game suspension. He is also contesting a striking charge carrying a separate three-match suspension.

In other news, no action will be taken against Lance after he apologised for being overly demonstrative on the sideline during Saturday night's game by throwing his headset on the ground in a fit of rage. The NRL found no evidence to support allegations he broke a chair.

Outgoing NSW coach Phil Gould has been fined $2500 by the NSWRL for swearing at a post-match media conference after Origin III.